With the rise of many once-dated leonine names, from Leona to Lionel to Leonora, Leandra is an unusual choice that might be looking at a comeback..

A variation of Lionel that has made slow but substantial gains in recent years, perhaps helped by the resurgence of Leo. It is also the Spanish and Portuguese variant.

Leodore is a modern English combination of Leo, meaning "lion", and Theodore, meaning "gift of god".

There are a lot of lion-themed names in fashion these days, and Lenna is one of the more unusual. It's a genuine European short form, ala Leni, given to about 100 baby girls in the US last year.

When considering the playground years, might be too close to gory.

Singer Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko, who goes by her first name, won the Eurovision contest in 2004 and remains a popular artist in Ukraine.

In the US this is likely to conjure zebras, lions and elephants on the Serengeti, but its original meaning "journey" broadens its wearability. Safari is a name common in Africa for babies born while their parents were on a journey.

This is the original form of the ancient name also spelled Llewelyn. In ancient Wales, it was borne by two princes who for a time united their countrymen in North Wales and led opposition to the power of the Norman barons in the south. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth was the greatest of the Welsh rulers of the Middle Ages. This is a popular patriotic name, with nicknames Llelo and Llew, which is also Welsh for 'lion.'

Alparslan is a combination of the Turkish words alp, meaning "hero," and arslan, "lion." The name is a reference to Alp Arslan, the title given to 11th-century Seljuk sultan Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri when his army defeated the Byzantines.

Confident Middle Eastern choice. Children will relate to the Rafiki form via the wise guru in Disney's "The Lion King."

A grand, bright, and powerful feeling name, Sundiata was notably borne by Sundiata Keita, the 13th century founder and prince of the Mali Empire in Western Africa. He is remembered and celebrated in the Epic of Sundiata which is still taught today.

The dramatic-sounding name of a star in the constellation Leo that can be adapted as a unique Arabic name for boys. The similar-sounding Rasselas is the name of an allegorical fable by Samuel Johnson and its lead character.

Leyon is an alternate spelling of the French Léon used in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.

Leonato is one of the main characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the noble governor of Messina on whose property most of the play takes place. His daughter Hero and his niece Beatrice are the two main female romantic leads in the play. His character is ambiguous; he starts out friendly and amiable, but he reacts very harshly to rumors that his daughter has lost her "honor" before marriage.

Hebrew name rarely heard in the U. S. , making it a distinctive choice.

Fierce choice from the Oromo culture of Ethiopia.

The etymology of Leontel is unclear, though it could be seen as a variation of Lionel. It has rarely been used anywhere, though it does have more French connections than anything. While the nickname Leon might seem a little dated, Leo is right on trend.

Lovely African name that you may recognize from The Lion King.

Traditional African name made cartoonish by the Disney character in The Lion King. In Shona it means "strength".

Lionel is yet another traditional boy's name entering the girls' column--at least once-- via prizewinning novelist Lionel (born Margaret Ann) Shriver.